Poll: On what percentage of your jobs do clients provide glossaries?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Dec 1, 2005

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "On what percentage of your jobs do clients provide glossaries?".

This poll was originally submitted by humbird

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more informati
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "On what percentage of your jobs do clients provide glossaries?".

This poll was originally submitted by humbird

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
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Özden Arıkan
Özden Arıkan  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 02:34
Member
English to Turkish
+ ...
Actually, around 2-3% Dec 1, 2005

Hi all,
I had to choose 20%, which is a wide range (no, I'm not a poll critic, thank you "humbird" for bringing this up), but the actual ratio has so far been as above in my experience. Needless to say, this applies mostly for technical translations, which make up roughly a half of my work.

I am curious to hear about the experience of others, though.


 
David Brown
David Brown  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 02:34
Spanish to English
¿Glossaries? Dec 1, 2005

¡¡Never!! in 4 years of translating.

 
Ivana de Sousa Santos
Ivana de Sousa Santos  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 01:34
French to Portuguese
+ ...
Also never Dec 1, 2005

In 4 years on the business!

 
Maria Diaconu
Maria Diaconu  Identity Verified
Romania
Local time: 03:34
English to Romanian
Again never... Dec 1, 2005

... in 4 years.

 
Konstantin Kisin
Konstantin Kisin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:34
Russian to English
+ ...
more often that I would expect... Dec 1, 2005

but still in the 0-20% bracket...:)

 
Sarah Downing
Sarah Downing  Identity Verified
Local time: 20:34
German to English
+ ...
The proverbial rock and hard place ... Dec 1, 2005

Either they provide glossaries with weird German translations which sound soooo wrong, but which they insist you adhere to under pain of death because of course they know best. Or they don't provide glossaries and bitch at you afterwards for not having "used the terms they would have liked".

However, it's not infrequent that I get reference texts, which are of varying quality - some are good, some less so. Sometimes it is just easier to translate the texts as you go along rather tha
... See more
Either they provide glossaries with weird German translations which sound soooo wrong, but which they insist you adhere to under pain of death because of course they know best. Or they don't provide glossaries and bitch at you afterwards for not having "used the terms they would have liked".

However, it's not infrequent that I get reference texts, which are of varying quality - some are good, some less so. Sometimes it is just easier to translate the texts as you go along rather than looking up every word to ensure that it adheres to the damn glossary. Having said that, I don't really do technical texts, so I'm sure that the glossaries for these are different and possibly more useful because there is less room for interpretation.

My 10 cents,

Sarah
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Kirill Semenov
Kirill Semenov  Identity Verified
Ukraine
Local time: 03:34
Member (2004)
English to Russian
+ ...
And TMs? Dec 1, 2005

Sometimes (but rare) my clients sent me short glossaries or some links to the glossaries, but I've never got a TM from my clients.

I think the question about TMs is closely related to the poll although is not included. I just wonder why so many clients state in their ads they want a translator to use this or that CAT tool, but do not have a TM when asked about it. Sometimes I think that most of the outsources require translators to use a CAT without even really understanding why the
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Sometimes (but rare) my clients sent me short glossaries or some links to the glossaries, but I've never got a TM from my clients.

I think the question about TMs is closely related to the poll although is not included. I just wonder why so many clients state in their ads they want a translator to use this or that CAT tool, but do not have a TM when asked about it. Sometimes I think that most of the outsources require translators to use a CAT without even really understanding why the CAT is necessary... Sounds lik a CAT is kind of fashion or a `good form'. Most of my clients just don't care if I use a CAT or which CAT I use.

Why do you think they want a translator to use a CAT if they don't provide either TM or a termbase (glossary)?

[Edited at 2005-12-01 11:52]
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Roberta Anderson
Roberta Anderson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 02:34
Member (2001)
English to Italian
+ ...
Almost always... Dec 1, 2005

Must be the proverbial exception, then
I almost always get TMs and glossaries... (in close to 8 yrs as freelancer)

Roberta

[Edited at 2005-12-01 11:56]


 
Parrot
Parrot  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 02:34
Spanish to English
+ ...
You're a localisation specialist Dec 1, 2005

Roberta Anderson wrote:

Must be the proverbial exception, then
I almost always get TMs and glossaries... (in close to 8 yrs as freelancer)

Roberta


It must depend on the market.

I'm into legal. When I go on holiday, some of my clients tell me they use my old files as references to send to substitutes. So yes, I do have glossaries, but they're my own. And if they've kept the client happy, they get sent out.

Otherwise, 1 out of 8-10 agencies (not direct clients) DO send out TMs, and that from time to time.


 
Mihail Mateev
Mihail Mateev
Bulgaria
Local time: 03:34
Member
English to Bulgarian
+ ...
0% Dec 1, 2005

Never! Jamais! ...

 
Henry Hinds
Henry Hinds  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 18:34
English to Spanish
+ ...
In memoriam
Never Dec 1, 2005

I cannot recall ever having been provided with a glossary by a client, and that covers over 34 years in the business.

 
Brandis (X)
Brandis (X)
Local time: 02:34
English to German
+ ...
This is cool Henry Dec 1, 2005

Henry Hinds wrote:

I cannot recall ever having been provided with a glossary by a client, and that covers over 34 years in the business.
I have similar experience sofar, most of my clients do not think of this, other than a few old agencies I know and have seen my development. Most do not realize what resources I use to do rapid finishing. Best Brandis


 
Good illustration of my frustration, than you! Dec 1, 2005

Sarah Downing wrote:

Either they provide glossaries with weird German translations which sound soooo wrong, but which they insist you adhere to under pain of death because of course they know best. Or they don't provide glossaries and bitch at you afterwards for not having "used the terms they would have liked".

However, it's not infrequent that I get reference texts, which are of varying quality - some are good, some less so. Sometimes it is just easier to translate the texts as you go along rather than looking up every word to ensure that it adheres to the damn glossary. Having said that, I don't really do technical texts, so I'm sure that the glossaries for these are different and possibly more useful because there is less room for interpretation.

My 10 cents,

Sarah


Dear Sarah,

I really like your expression "pain of death".
My frustration is, hate to admit though, I am not in that industry while the original clients are. It is for this reason I want them present well-organized, well-presented glossary of their particular niche, and preference, instead of picking on my choice of language after translation was completed.

I sure feel like this is one of the most important area of client educations.


 


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Poll: On what percentage of your jobs do clients provide glossaries?






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